Lovable, but flawed protagonist? Check! A cast of colorful, funny, sexy, strong or all-of-the-above characters? Check! Cute animal-type mascot? Check! Action-packed anime? Bonus check!

Fresh off a hit anime run, Radiant is going strong with vol. 4 coming out this month and there’s no signs of slowing down. Set in a world overrun with monsters called Nemesis, a young boy infected by them will stop at nothing to defeat them all.

Sure, you’d expect us to be fans of the series since it takes an army to put out any manga, but here’s a true celebratory endorsement. Yusuke Murata, One-Punch Man illustrator, Eyeshield 21 creator and Radiant fan, says it best in his fan-art to fellow creator, Tony Valente.

But what does Valente have to say about his work? Luckily, we were able to get some time with him. Here he shares his love for shonen manga and what influences him in his work.